Steve Brown's Bunyip, and Other Stories

Steve Brown is the sort of bushman everyone knows by reputation alone. In the dusty outbacks of Scrubby Corner he has a uncanny knack for tracking down lost cattle, sheepskins and even a missing tarpaulin, provided the reward is generous enough. Yet his skill is shadowed by suspicion; townsfolk whisper that he knows the hiding places because he himself hides things, and his lanky, freckled appearance only deepens the distrust.

The story opens as Steve, newly orphaned after his mother’s death, inherits a modest homestead and soon meets the daughter of an elderly settler who has come seeking help. Their uneasy alliance pulls them into the restless folklore of the Australian bush, where the legendary bunyip is said to stalk lonely waterways. As they grapple with superstition and survival, the narrative weaves humor and danger, inviting listeners to explore whether Steve’s shrewd instincts can outwit a creature born of myth.